State Journal

From capstone to millstone

Gov. Terry E. Branstad of Iowa was looking for an education capstone
to his 16 years as the Hawkeye State's chief executive.

But the school bill that the governor had so ardently desired turned
out to be a stumbling block instead.

In fact, Mr. Branstad's May 8 veto of major portions of that measure
has locked the four-term Republican in a stalemate with leaders of his
own party and exposed both sides to charges that they care more about
politics than schoolchildren. GOP lawmakers concede the situation is a
mess.

"The governor is holding schools and some of the money hostage" over
his dissatisfaction with the measure, Brent Siegrist, the Senate
majority leader, contended in an interview.

Mr. Branstad, who will leave office next January, has threatened to
call a special legislative session to get more of what he wants in an
education bill. He is particularly committed to a strengthened
merit-pay provision for teachers. But all indications are that the
governor does not yet have the votes to get his way in a special
session. Nor have Republican leaders found the two-thirds majority they
need to override his veto.

Last week, Mr. Branstad's spokesman, Eric Woolson, deemed "nonsense"
the notion that the governor is holding funds hostage. "The legislature
has the power to address that issue; they can work with the governor to
achieve meaningful reform," he said.

The impasse has left many of the state's school advocates
disgruntled. The sections of the education package that Mr. Branstad
didn't veto represent less than $7 million of the original $24 million
of proposed improvements.

Mr. Branstad, the current chairman of the Education Commission of
the States, vetoed $4 million for districts with growing enrollments,
$2.4 million to help districts with declining enrollments, $2 million
to help districts with special levies earmarked for schools, and $9
million in block grants to improve primary school programs.

He left intact $5.2 million for early-childhood programs and money
to raise minimum starting salaries for teachers to $23,000 a year, two
provisions stemming from the recommendations of a commission the
governor convened last year. Other commission recommendations,
including a call for the beginnings of a state accountability system
for schools, never got serious consideration in the legislature.